Renowned mezzo-soprano, Joanna Simon, has left for the heavenly abode. The legendary singer passed away at the age of 85 in Manhattan, New York City. She was from a famous musical family.
Joanna Simon was one of the best opera singers of all time. She will surely be missed by her fans, close friends, and family members. Keep scrolling further to know the cause behind the death of the opera singer Joanna Simon.
What was the reason behind the death of Joanna Simon?
Joanna Simon grew up in a family full of musical talent including her younger sisters Carly and Lucy. As per a report by The New York Times, Joanna passed away on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, in Manhattan.
When we talk about the cause of Joanna Simon’s death, it has been reported by the media outlet, that the opera singer’s first cousin Mary Ascheim has stated that she died of thyroid cancer. Joanna passed away in a hospital just a day before her younger sister Lucy’s death at 82 at her home in Piermont, N.Y.
Who was Joanna Simon?
Joanna Simon was an American mezzo-soprano and journalist. She was born on October 20, 1936, in New York City, the U.S. She was the daughter of publisher Richard L. Simon. She was the elder sister of singer and songwriter Carly Simon, singer and musical theatre composer Lucy Simon, and photographer Peter Simon.
Back in the day, Joanna went to Riverdale Country School. After a while, she graduated from Sarah Lawrence College with a degree in philosophy in the Spring of 1962. At that time, she was interested in musical theatre, and she started taking voice lessons with contralto Marion Freschl who helped her to build a career in opera.
Then, Joanna took training at the Zurich-based International Opera Studio under the leadership of Herbert Graf and with composer Gian Carlo Menotti at the Spoletto Festival. At the International Opera Studio in Zurich, her fellow classmates were sopranos Dame Gwyneth Jones and Felicia Weathers. Lotfi Mansouri was one of her teachers at the institute.
When did Joanna Simon start singing professionally?
Joanna made her first opera appearance in November 1962. At that time, she appeared as Cherubino in Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro at the New York City Opera.
During the same year, Simon bagged the Marian Anderson Award. For those of you who are unaware, let us tell you, Marian Anderson Award is an annual prize given to a promising young singer.
As an opera singer, Joanna was best known as a “smoky-voiced mezzo-soprano”. She was the first one to sing the role of Pantasilea, a courtesan in 16th-century Italy, in Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera’s Bomarzo. The opera premiered in the year 1967 at the Opera Society of Washington (today the Washington National Opera).
Simon’s performance at the Lisner Auditorium in Washington, D.C. garnered a lot of attention from all over the world. In addition to this, she was also considered a concert singer. One of her biggest hits was the song Over The Rainbow.
We send our deepest condolences to the friends and family members of Joanna Simon during this hard time. Don’t forget to stay tuned with us for the latest updates from the world of showbiz.